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Learn import and export, step by step

Free lessons on importing and exporting from India, in English and Hindi, each linked to live government data.

4 Chapters · 30 lessons2 videos64 trade words

A container ship sailing to an Indian port with cranes, a cargo plane overhead and a container truck on the coast road.

Watch: how trade works

Two short animated explainers, narrated in Hindi with English captions.

Chapters

A business owner at a laptop with a parcel and an identity card on the desk.

Chapter 1

Getting started

What importing and exporting involve, the registrations you need, and how to find your product's HS code and your first buyers.

6 lessons25 min read

  1. Lesson 14 min readHow importing and exporting work, end to endThe whole journey of a shipment in and out of India: who does what, which papers move, and where customs and the bank come in.
  2. Lesson 24 min readIEC: what it is, who needs one, how to apply on DGFTThe 10-character code you need to import or export goods: who is exempt, how to apply on DGFT, and the yearly update that keeps it active.
  3. Lesson 35 min readGST, LUT and refunds for exportersExports are zero-rated under GST. How exporting under an LUT differs from paying IGST and claiming it back, and how each refund reaches you.
  4. Lesson 44 min readExport promotion councils and the RCMCWhat export promotion councils are, what an RCMC proves, when the Foreign Trade Policy asks for one, and how to get and renew it on DGFT.
  5. Lesson 54 min readChoosing a product and finding its HS codeHow to find your product's 8-digit HS code, why the exact code decides its duty and rules, and what to do when two codes seem to fit.
  6. Lesson 64 min readFinding your first buyers abroadChoose markets from trade figures, find importers in customs records, meet buyers at fairs and through your council, and check a buyer before you ship.
A customs officer inspecting an open container while a customs broker works on a laptop.

Chapter 2

Customs and the CHA

How goods clear Indian customs: classification, duty, valuation, the bill of entry and shipping bill, and the rules that apply to your product.

10 lessons49 min read

  1. Lesson 76 min readWhat a customs broker (CHA) does, and the CBLR licenceWho customs brokers are, what they do for importers and exporters, what the law makes them check, and how the CBLR licence exam works.
  2. Lesson 85 min readHS classification: 2, 4, 6 and 8 digitsHow an HS code is built, the six rules customs uses to choose one, why the notes matter, and how to get a binding answer before you import.
  3. Lesson 95 min readCustoms duty: BCD, SWS, IGST and AIDCThe duties on an import into India, the order they are worked out in, how exemptions and trade deals lower them, and which part you can claim back.
  4. Lesson 105 min readAssessable value, CIF and the customs exchange rateHow customs values an import: the transaction value, what is added to it, what happens when freight or insurance is unknown, and which exchange rate applies.
  5. Lesson 115 min readFiling a bill of entry on ICEGATE, step by stepThe three kinds of bill of entry, when to file, the documents to upload, and what happens between filing and out of charge.
  6. Lesson 125 min readShipping bill and Let Export OrderHow you declare an export on ICEGATE, how customs clears it, and how the same shipping bill reaches your bank and your export incentives.
  7. Lesson 135 min readTrade agreements and certificates of originWhat a trade agreement gives you, how rules of origin work, which certificate you need and who issues it, and how an importer claims the lower rate.
  8. Lesson 145 min readAnti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard dutiesThe three trade remedy duties, who investigates and who imposes them, and how to tell if one applies to the goods you import.
  9. Lesson 154 min readBIS certification and quality control ordersWhat a quality control order is, which products need the BIS mark, what it means for importers and their foreign suppliers, and how to check.
  10. Lesson 164 min readImport and export policy: free, restricted, prohibitedHow DGFT's ITC(HS) says whether a product may be traded freely, needs a licence, goes only through a state agency, or is banned.
Papers flowing from a container ship to a bank, and coins flowing back.

Chapter 3

Documents, shipping and payments

Incoterms, the shipping documents, containers and ports, how you get paid, and RBI's payment rules.

7 lessons34 min read

  1. Lesson 176 min readIncoterms 2020The 11 Incoterms rules: who pays for freight and insurance, where the risk passes, and how your choice changes the customs value.
  2. Lesson 185 min readInvoice, packing list, bill of lading and air waybillWhat each shipping document says, why they must all agree, and the bill of lading choices that decide when the buyer gets the goods.
  3. Lesson 194 min readFCL, LCL, ICD and CFSFull and shared container loads, inland container depots and container freight stations: what each one is and when each makes sense.
  4. Lesson 205 min readGetting paid: advance, LC, DA and DPThe main ways an exporter gets paid, the risk each puts on you and your buyer, how documents move through banks, and how to check a buyer.
  5. Lesson 216 min readRBI's payment rules and deadlines (FEMA 2026)RBI's export and import payment rules from 1 October 2026: declaring exports, the deadline to be paid, extensions, set-off and paying for imports.
  6. Lesson 224 min readPurpose codes for foreign paymentsWhat RBI's purpose codes are, how receipt and payment codes differ, and the codes traders use most for goods and services.
  7. Lesson 234 min readSanctions checks before you shipThe UN, US, UK and EU sanctions lists, what a match means, how to spot a false positive, dual-use goods and SCOMET, and what to keep on file.
A dashboard of bar, line and pie charts with a magnifying glass over shipment rows.

Chapter 4

Trade data and analytics

Reading shipment records and trade figures to size a market, find buyers and suppliers, and watch the rules for your products.

7 lessons30 min read

  1. Lesson 245 min readReading one shipment recordWhat each field of an Indian customs shipment record tells you, and the traps in descriptions, units and values that mislead first-time readers.
  2. Lesson 255 min readCIF and FOB values, unit price and quantityWhy imports are valued CIF and exports FOB, how to work out a unit price, and how to compare prices fairly across shipments and units.
  3. Lesson 264 min readMarket size, share and growth by countryHow to read a country's imports of your product, India's share of them and their growth, and why the 6-digit code and data delays matter.
  4. Lesson 274 min readFinding buyers and suppliers from shipmentsUse HS codes and descriptions in shipment records to find active importers and exporters, check them, and contact them with respect.
  5. Lesson 284 min readDuty in export marketsWhy the duty your buyer pays matters to you, how MFN and preferential rates differ, and what GSP, DCTS and extra duties like Section 301 change.
  6. Lesson 294 min readTracking rule changes for your HS codesWhere changes to duty, policy and standards come from, how to read a notice's dates, and a simple weekly routine to catch them in time.
  7. Lesson 304 min readBuilding a simple trade reportPut one HS code on one page: market size, top countries, buyers, price trend, duty and rules, each with its source and its date.

Trade words

Every trade word our lessons and tools use, in plain language.

All trade words

Trade Academy is education, not legal, tax or customs advice. Rules and rates change by notification: check the live source, or ask a licensed customs broker, before you act.